Silver Bean Coffee Shop is one of the longest-standing coffee shops in the Four Corners area. The shop, which is housed in a 1969 Airstream trailer on West Main Street, started serving coffee to the residents of Cortez in 1998.
“It is more than just a place to grab your morning coffee – it's a testament to family, dreams and the power of carrying forward a loved one's vision,” owner Kristie Garlinghouse told The Journal.
In 2023, the coffee shop went up for sale, and it was purchased by Marc and Kristie Garlinghouse, their daughter Shandi Fitchett-Hurst, nephew Chris Nelson and his wife, Sidney Nelson.
“We knew it was meant to be,” Garlinghouse said.
It was a family affair. Garlinghouse shared that the plan was for Fitchett-Hurst to run the family’s other coffee shop, the TrailBoss Coffee Co., at Road L. 4 and U.S. Highway 491 (currently closed), and the Nelsons would work at the Silver Bean with another pair named Zeb Eden and Angie Orona, who worked at the Silver Bean prior to the ownership change.
Marc and Kristie Garlinghouse planned to go back and forth between the two coffee shops to lend a hand wherever needed while continuing to manage their farm in Lewis and work as a paramedic.
While working as a barista in Washington state during 1990s, Garlinghouse gained an appreciation and love for the cultural experience of coffee.
“We were influenced by wonderful baristas and influential coffee roasters with humble beginnings in the Pacific Northwest, which set a precedent and the foundation of our dream to bring this along into the Southwest,” Garlinghouse said. “We postponed our dream of creating a great space for coffee due to raising cows and kids, and the abrupt halt on our plans in 2020, but we have always been in love with the idea of curating a great space where coffee could be celebrated.”
Shortly after opening TrailBoss and purchasing Silver Bean, however, tragedy struck the family.
Fitchett-Hurst, her husband, Derick Hurst, and their 3-month old daughter, Skylar Hurst, died in a crash outside of Moab while heading home from a softball game in Vernal, Utah.
“What started as a business venture has blossomed into something much deeper – the fulfillment of a dream that was especially close to our daughter's heart,” Kristie Garlinghouse said. “This was her dream too.”
Garlinghouse shared that their daughter’s memory inspires the work they are doing at Silver Bean and losing her changed their perspective on life. It has also grown their love for community and family and emphasized the importance of spending time with loved ones.
“It reinforced our commitment to family and community, giving new meaning to our mission of creating a space where people can slow down and connect,” Garlinghouse said. “We love it when our grown daughters, Myranda (Fitchett) and Hunter (Garlinghouse), come and visit from Washington and Denver, extended family from Louisiana, Michigan and California, give us their opinions and ideas as we sit and visit at the Silver Bean.”
Along with their love of family, Garlinghouse said seeing people stop and enjoy time at the coffee shop, whether tourists or locals, is something that brings them joy.
“We love watching tourists and travelers with families stop to enjoy breakfast on our patio as their little ones giggle at the flamingos or slow down to visit with one another and stretch their legs,” Garlinghouse said. “Taking pictures of the Silver Bean as part of their travel log and vacation … it’s exceptional when we can visit with foreign families and tourists who have read about us in special travel books and have seen us listed as the place to stop in the Four Corners and Mesa Verde area visitor guides, most recently a travel guidebook from France.”
The coffee shop is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and they are ready to bring more memories to visitors from Cortez and beyond.
“Some families aren’t always born, some are chosen,” Garlinghouse said. “Our little Airstream embodies the values that matter most to us: quality, care and genuine hospitality.”
The Silver Bean’s fall menu is also set to release this week and will include a hot honey latte, Baklava, s’mores and, of course, pumpkin spice.
Their drinks use several house-made syrups and Milligan Honey. They also have a salted caramel drink that was created by Hurst, and the drink, “Shandi’s Salted Caramel,” is a popular drink on the menu. The “Honey Bear Cold Brew” has been one of the most popular during the month of August.
They also have sugar-free options and drinks for children, and fresh, New York bagels that are shipped overnight.
“I roast our own coffee, BackRoads Ranch Roasting Co., which will be launched soon, and we use local Chappell Farms Coffee,” Garlinghouse said.
The picturesque coffee shop, complete with flowers and pink flamingos, welcomes all who wish to enjoy a cup of coffee as family
“We believe coffee brings people together,” Garlinghouse said. “Every cup we serve carries our love for this community and honors the dreams we hold dear.”
